Officers have upped patrols and are using every tactic available to tackle roaming gangs of trouble-making youths - after receiving almost 150 reports in a month.

Yobs are chucking lit fireworks, eggs and stones at moving traffic, houses and shops, and even each other as part of a mindless campaign of night time crime.

A lot of the trouble has been centred around Pallister Park and the surrounding areas, but reports have been made from all over Middlesbrough and Stockton.

The Gazette has reported how a youth football team from East Middlesbrough FM abandoned training on the estate after watching around 50 youths throw fireworks at each other in a play park, witnessing them bouncing off climbing frames and onto pitches.

And 64-year-old Pauline Degiorgis, who is registered disabled, saw her carpet set alight by a firework launched through the door of her flat in central Middlesbrough.

Pauline Degiorgis (Image: Ian Cooper)

Now, neighbourhood officers are battling back - and claim to be using a range of tactics to solve the issue.

Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Snaith said: “This operation will continue for the foreseeable future and we will proactively locate, arrest if necessary and prosecute any named suspects who are identified as responsible for offences.

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“Recent behaviour by a number of young people is completely unacceptable and it has a really adverse effect on people living and running businesses in this area.

“We will not tolerate this.”

Police have been joined by council staff, sports organisations and housing providers, including private landlords, to identify and deal with the mainly young people responsible for almost 150 incidents of anti-social behaviour.

A firework which was let off in one of the incidents

There have been around 50 reports of criminal damage to police since mid-September.

And using information gathered by plain clothed patrols, neighbourhood officers are successfully identifying offenders and using proportionate ways to deal with them.

Nearly 40 AS13 letters have been handed between in 20 days – these act as anti-social behaviour ‘warnings’, allowing police to take further action on repeat offenders.

Police say others caught have been “referred to the Youth Offending Service, offered diversionary activities and family support, and some could have tenancy action taken against them”.

Dispersal orders will continue to be used, which allow police to ban people congregating in a particular area for up to 48 hours.

Grahame French, area manager for social landlord Thirteen, added: “We work closely with Cleveland Police and other partners on projects to tackle anti-social behaviour in estates across Middlesbrough.

“As part of this, where our tenants are involved in incidents of ASB which breach their tenancy agreement, in the first instance we speak to them to help tackle the behaviour. We can also issue more formal notices to oblige them to alter their behaviour.”